This is very bold still getting small businesses on stock. Now we talked previously about you not exactly always liking your employees, but that really comes to an extend to not always liking your customers and your vendors. And not only would you like to have a business without employees, but you'd love to have one without customers and vendors admitted that really would be the perfect world. And this is an area where we get stuck, you know, with customers, you get very very frustrated because you don't understand why they bring you all their problems. Why are they doing all this whining and why can they just be satisfied with whatever you deliver as results you keep looking and searching for better ones that will be have less complaints but who gives you more profit. You never talked to any of your customers in person, because you just think as I said before, it's just really too messy or you just really want to sit at your desk.

And it's similar with employees. We stated in the previous video that there's a lot of not communication really going on. They don't really have any loyalty, you are not willing to pay for the best people. What you do instead is you hire inexperienced folks, and when they don't work out, you're surprised that it doesn't really work that way. You have a tendency to be stuck because you confuse recognition. With rewards.

You think it's really all about cash. When it comes to vendors, you really don't view things as partnerships. You try to wring out every last cent in that transaction for your maximum profit. Does any of this sound familiar? does all of it really sound familiar? What do you really have to do to get unstuck?

The first thing you have to stop searching, you can't keep looking for better customers better vendors and employees all at the same time. And think about for a second, what's the common thread between having bad customers, bad employees and vendors? It's really you. So you have to think about what is really going on, and try to change one of them first. So for example, look at your customers, which ones are profitable, and which ones are problems for employees? Which ones are really helping build a team and making a profitable company and your vendors?

Which ones can you really build a long term partnership with, and which are just transactions? You've got to get interested in your employees. As we discussed previously, employees stay when their goals match the company goals, and you must have a supportive environment for that and shared values. Just don't have it. Office, but you have to go out there and build a community that has measured goals, people want to be part of something that's much bigger than them. Think about rewards beyond wherever the cash rewards cash rewards always don't work because employees start to think very short term.

And they focus on what the cash is for the bonus, and not the rest of their job. And there's always going to be some smart alec people inside your company that know how to game the system. And in fact, surveys show that later on, people even forget what the cash was for and they end up paying down some bill and it's not even memorable for them. This is a problem because top motivation for most people is not cash at all. It really is. People getting complimented, caring when you give someone a reward.

There was a study done that really showed that people would much rather have a gift than cash awards. have similar amounts because they feel much more cared for and much more thanked. You got to pay people more you get what you pay for an industry job that pays $50,000. If you pay $55,000 you'll have the best people coming to you and face it. What does it really cost you don't get in deals with people anymore. That extra $5,000 is really going to gain you a lot of appreciation loyalty.

I remember when I left IBM in 1990, I got a 20% increase in pay with my new company. And let me tell you that gain a lot of hard work and a lot of appreciation. And once word gets out that you pay the most, the best people are naturally going to be attracted to them. Because it costs about a third of someone's salary to extra replace that person. If they don't stay or if you've hired the wrong person needs to fire them. After six months or a year.

You've got to make sure that you give them timely praise and attention. One of my favorite authors, Ken Blanchard says, instead of catching someone doing something wrong, he got to catch people doing something right. Give that feedback immediately. And often, as we stated previously, forget about that old annual review. And very importantly, give employees a real voice. Be a collaborative leader, not one of those alpha males or females.

Employees want influence, they always don't expect to make the final decision. But they do want the ability to impact the goal. They want to be able to use their judgment then and how to achieve that goal. And if they're allowed to do that, you don't have to always watch over them, and they will get to that goal much more effectively. And this way, you will be leveraging the employees in your company. For your vendors.

Go out and meet with them. Find out what their business goals are, and where are the common goals for your company. Are you Do a big fish in a small pond. How can you both work together to make a profit each in your own company. If each you and your vendor can't make a profit by working together, it's not going to be a very successful relationship and is up to both of you to figure out how to bridge that gap. Again, in order to get unstuck, you've got to strive for minimal achievement.

What's the one change you're going to make? Where are you going to look to evolve your relationship either with customers, vendors or employees. You can't do all three. Just pick that one. This is Barry mold, still getting small business unstuck. Have a great day.